Photo Credit: LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 6: An Allegiant Air jet carrying members of the New Orleans Fire Department comes in for a landing at McCarran International Airport on September 6, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas-based airline will initially pick up the cost of flying New Orleans police, firefighters and their families to Vegas for a three to five day vacation at local hotel-casinos to provide rest to those traumatized by the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Allegiant Says It Wants To Offer Flights To Mexico — But It’ll Have To Play Catch-Up
Mexico seems to be the next country for Allegiant Air. However, it’s unclear where in Mexico the airline will fly to. The company said that information will be provided “at later dates.”
Allegiant, which is headquartered in Las Vegas, announced the news in an April 22 press release.
“Unlike other U.S. carriers, Allegiant has always been laser-focused on leisure travel and providing access to affordable, non-stop flights for those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to go on vacation,” said Maury Gallagher, Allegiant’s CEO.
“Offering service to Mexico will provide a whole new array of options for travelers to discover world-class destinations that may have been previously out of reach.”
Allegiant currently serves 450 domestic routes, many of which are located in smaller or medium-sized cities such as Chattanooga and Little Rock. The airline transported over 12 million people in 2017 and has a fleet of over 80 planes.
If Allegiant does offer flights to Mexico in the future, it’ll have to play catch-up.
Most U.S. airlines with international service — and even budget airlines such as Frontier and Spirit — already fly to the destinations in the country, including Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. Many offer nonstop flights.
“We believe that providing scheduled service to Mexico will also be of great economic benefit, by stimulating traffic and providing additional competition in the international leisure market,” Gallagher continued. “It will not only bring exceptional value to travelers, but will also enhance both tourism and business impact in the communities we serve.”
Allegiant has been in the news in recent years after a CBS News “60 Minutes” investigation in 2018 uncovered a poor safety culture at the airline. CBS found that Allegiant experienced “more than 100 serious mechanical incidents, including aborted takeoffs, rapid descents, flight control malfunctions, and mid-air engine failures.”
The airline responded to the report in a statement, calling it a “deceitful story.”
